Mister Misstep

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Mister Misstep

Prosecutors in Ankara are investigating whether Turkish economist Atilla Yesilada broke the law by referring to the imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader as "Mr." Abdullah Ocalan. The Turkish press usually dubs him "terrorist chieftain" or "baby killer." At a conference on the economy, Yesilada repeatedly used the word "sayin" – which means "mister" and is used to show respect. Insulting the military is also illegal in Turkey. Turkey, which aspires to join the European Union, is under pressure to ease laws that restrict freedom of expression. Good thing the U.S. has no such imperative regarding the sort who'd speak contempuously of the Shrub.